Floribunda at Bunjil Place is a triumphant celebration of floral abundance, artistic legacy, and human connection; an exhibition that redefines how we see flowers in art.
Our society is increasingly dominated by digital minimalism and conceptual abstraction; thus, Floribunda dares to bloom unapologetically. Curated by David Sequeira and presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria, this exhibition is not merely a showcase of floral imagery. It’s a sweeping, multisensory immersion into the entangled relationship between humans and flowers, spanning centuries, cultures, and mediums.
Floribunda features over 150 works drawn from one of the largest loans in NGV’s history. The title itself - a fusion of the Latin words for “flower” and “abundance” sets the tone for what unfolds: a lush, layered exploration of floral motifs across painting, ceramics, photography, bark painting, sculpture, installation art, jewellery, textiles, printmaking, drawing, and fashion.
What makes Floribunda so compelling is its refusal to treat flowers as mere decorative elements. Instead, the exhibition positions them as central to the human experience, symbols of life, death, romance, ritual, and resistance. From Arthur Streeton’s delicate renderings of roses to contemporary installations that challenge colonial narratives through native flora, the exhibition traverses both aesthetic beauty and cultural depth.
Sequeira’s curatorial approach is bold and inclusive. Rather than privileging one genre or era, Floribunda embraces multiplicity. Visitors encounter Victorian-era botanical studies alongside Indigenous bark paintings, haute couture floral embroidery beside modern photographic abstractions. This juxtaposition invites reflection: how have flowers shaped our stories, and how do they continue to bloom in our collective imagination?
Yet Floribunda is not without its provocations. Some works challenge the commodification of nature, others interrogate the colonial gaze embedded in botanical documentation. These moments of tension are vital as they prevent the exhibition from becoming a mere aesthetic indulgence and instead root it in critical discourse.
In an age of climate anxiety and ecological fragility, Floribunda offers a timely meditation on our relationship with the natural world. It asks us to look closer, feel deeper, and consider the stories that flowers carry; not just in art, but in our gardens, rituals, and memories.
Floribunda is an exhibition organised by Bunjil Place in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria. The event was hosted from March to July 2025.
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